This inspiring and prescriptive book leads us from the emotional chaos of the reactive mind to the clarity of the responsive mind

As Founder of the Life Balance Institute, Phillip Moffitt has observed that most people lack clarity about their life's direction and the ability to cope with its inevitable challenges. Now, in Emotional Chaos to Clarity, he provides the antidote by showing us the path of skillful living. Grounded in Western psychology and Buddhist philosophy, each chapter introduces a mind state that prevents us from living skillfully, narrates stories from Moffitt's hundreds of students and clients, and provides step-by-step exercises for readers to find clarity in their own lives. Among the many benefits of skillful living are being able to gain wisdom from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences and having an inner life which can flourish, even if our outer life is filled with difficulty.

PHILLIP MOFFITT walked away from his highly successful post as chief executive and editor-in-chief of Esquire magazine in 1987 to live the inner life. Founder and president of the Life Balance Institute, a nonprofit organization devoted to the study and practice of spiritual values in daily life, Moffitt teaches vipassana meditation at retreat centers around the country and holds a weekly meditation class in Marin County, California. He is an award-winning essayist and is a regular contributor to Yoga Journal. He lives in the San Francisco Bay area.

Publishers Weekly

Jan 02 2012

Though rife with buzzwords like “mindfulness” and “authenticity,” and the less elegant “imaginative possible,” the book still delivers valuable tools for psychological self-development and a more harmonious relationship with life.

Psych Central

Reviewed by Dan Berkowitz

Moffitt’s a skilled writer. There is no flowery language painting an abstract portrait of the secret to life. He writes cleanly and directly. However, he still thoroughly conveys his message. He strikes the perfect balance.

Vitality

Reviewed by Susannah Kent

At its core, Emotional Chaos to Clarity is an honest and compassionate invitation (and offer of assistance) to discover a richer, deeper, more balanced life. This is an invitation well worth accepting.